Model Hull of the future created for Punctuate exhibition

PROVING POPULAR: Students Jack Rigby, 21, and Faye Berry, 37, at the Punctuate exhibition by Hull School of Art and Design graduates, which is housed in shipping containers at Hull Marina. Picture: Kate Woolhouse

Course leader Chris Dimmack said: "What the students decided they wanted to do was to create a debate in the city about the future of the urban environment in Hull.

"They wanted to take their exhibition to the people.

"They have got two shipment containers and have been able to put them on the Marina.

"We didn't want the students to be hidden away in the art school and, since opening on Friday, we have had more than 1,000 people through."

Visitors from architecture firms from as far afield as London have come to view their work, as well as a host of East Yorkshire companies, councillors, businessmen and members of the public.

Mr Dimmack said: "People who have visited the exhibition have been very positive.

"The students have been very surprised and happy about how engaging people have been.

"Because of where it is, people have gone in and started to chat with the students about what they have done and what their vision of the city is."

Two students have been offered work by visiting architecture companies impressed with the plans for the future of Hull.

Student Lucas Docherty, 21, said the exhibition had been going really well.

He said: "It has been really exciting. The response we had at the weekend was amazing.

"The whole idea was we wanted to bring architecture to the people of Hull. Dropping two giant shipping containers onto the Marina right into the heart of Hull has done that. "People have been coming in looking at the plans."

There are seven schemes on show to the public, including a primary school in Lowgate, a poetry library in Trinity Square and an art gallery in the dry dock. The exhibition runs until Saturday.

10 comments

@paul As our masterplan covers just Old Town we chose to place the containers within the fabric of our scheme. We had a wish list of sites including Trinity Square, and the Marina. The marina site actually only came together in the last week but it has worked out perfectly and footfall has been incredible. I completely agree. I too saw that article and can't help but be concerned about this "striking new structure." It was very frustrating putting together the scheme, most of which is very simple solutions, knowing that politics and bureaucracy will always get in the way of progress. Which is why so many architects find that they have to get involved with politics. I am hopeful that City of Culture will encourage the powers that be to be more imaginative and allow some creative thinking to prevail ....... :)

Thanks again for all this feedback @irritatedByU this is just a student scheme so is not something that will ever be realised unfortunately. Your right the A63 is tunnelled. We had the luxury of idealism. Ultimately it is possible to do it and we believe it is the best solution, but your right it is unlikely to actually happen anytime soon.

I wish you luck in getting this off the ground but as Paul says below you need politicians with vision who can get the resources. Your model looks like A63 is tunnelled under the river up to the marina. Thats up to highways agency and unfortunately may only be considered when Myton Bridge reaches the end of its life in 50-100 years and they are able to get the £50Million+ from central government. Wish it could be done though, good luck with the rest of it!

@Fayenbez - Thank you for your note. I'll have to get to your exhibition. Shame it was not in the Ferens where many more people would happen to see your project. You probably saw another story involving tearing down a building from the 1840s. Someone observed that we don't want another Staples in its place. The great thing about your project is you have brought together youngsters with creativity, vision and who have had the time to study. This enables a good balance of quiet places snook away (always a delight to find), wildlife havens and functionality all to be brought together. Well thought out areas and buildings give the city its character (in my view.) Alas, for architects to do their bit you need politicians with similar vision and who can get the resources. That's the bit Hull struggles with. But we clearly have an abundance of young talent. Good luck.

@Paul_at_Hull Thank you for the interest. I completely agree with your comment. The citys heritage was a strong motivation behind our decision making with the masterplan. We were very aware that Old Town is the heart of the city and attempted to draw on the elements that made it once vibrant. For instance re prioritising traffic in favour of pedestrians and cyclists, reinstating the medieval street pattern and strengthening the principal routes. More drastically we decided to tunnel a portion of the A63. There are a great many jewels with in this area and our focus was to bring these to the fore. Thank you again for the feedback. These are exactly the types of debate we were keen to inspire with our exhibition. Faye